Winter is a pretty sad time for our gardens. Your garden will generally look pretty dark and damp. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of ways to improve the look of your winter garden. Take a look at our top tips that will allow you to enjoy your garden all year round.
Trees
Choose trees that’ll be the centre of attention in spring and autumn. Beautiful blossom and long lasting fruits are exactly what you should be looking for.
Fruit trees are particularly popular because they’re not too big. Crab apple trees are one of the best for a winter garden. However, certain types of crab apple trees hold their fruit for much longer than others. For a full winter thrill we’d recommend malus Gorgeous or the slightly smaller malus Adirondack. Both are filled with beautiful white flowers in spring, and colourful fruit during the winter.
Attracting wildlife to a winter garden
There’s nothing more beautiful than a garden full of wildlife. However, it’s not something you expect to see during the winter months. To attract the pollinating insects consider adding some low spreading flowers, like sedum. Surround it with tall grasses to create drama and movement throughout your garden. Sedum matrona flowers late-on in the year and provides a long season of colour. It starts off a beautiful rich red, gradually fading to a dark brown. On a fine day, you’ll see it swarming with the buzz of beautiful pollenating insects.
Shrubs
There are so many shrubs that can really liven up your garden over the winter months. A Christmas Box will leave an incredible winter scent lingering in your garden. It also has the most beautiful white flowers to accompany its evergreen status.
When it comes to adding a pop of colour throughout the year, the callicarpa profusion is perfect. During the early summer months you can expect delicate and pretty lilac flowers. During the autumn and winter season the flowers progress into incredible purple berries. When spring comes around the plant will change again. You’ll find impressive, bronze foliage – a favourite with flower arrangers.
Finally, witch hazel is the perfect shrub to introduce colour to your garden over winter. The shrubs come in stunning shades of pink, orange and yellow – a true feast for the eyes.
Colour and shape
There are many beautiful plants that erupt with stunning flowers during the summer and autumn. However, it’s important to find ones that hold their flowers and structure during the winter too.
Hydrangea is the perfect example of this. They’re renowned for their beautiful large flowers, but many people forget about them over winter. Winter causes the flowers to dry creating beautiful, brown flower heads. They’re the perfect way to add some solid structure to your garden over winter. They look particularly great on a frosty morning and after a sprinkling of snow.
Spring colour in a winter garden
As well as late flowers being important in a winter garden, spring colour is also just as important. The best winter gardens will be a haven for early pollinators. Bergenia will flower in early March and is perfect for filling any gaps in your border. It’ll also keep its shape all year.
